MATCH NOTES | FAN INFORMATION | ESPN+ (MATCH ONE | MATCH TWO) | LIVE STATS (MATCH ONE | MATCH TWO)

MOREHEAD, Ky. – Continuing one of the program's longest rivalries, a rivalry that dates back to the first years of the program, Morehead State hits the floor at Johnson Arena for the first time in the 2020-21 season, hosting in-state rival Murray State.

A two-game weekend series pits a pair of undefeated programs as both the Eagles and Racers swept their season-opening series. Morehead State opened the year with a two-game sweep of Eastern Illinois, dispatching the Panthers 3-1 and 3-0 while Murray State opened with a sweep of Tennessee State by scores of 3-0 and 3-2.

Morehead State enters the weekend with two members of the 1,000-Kill Club and a member of the 1,000-Assist Club having paced the offense versus Eastern Illinois. With 23 total kills in two matches, senior Lauren Rokey became the 21st member of the 1,000-Kill Club, pairing with fellow club member and senior Olivia Lohmeier who added 26 kills last weekend.

From her setter position, sophomore Bridget Bessler passed out 69 assists, surpassing 30 assists in both matches against the Panthers. She also helped the Morehead State offense make improvements from one game to the next, helping the team improve its hitting percentage by 121 points from match one to two.

Another Eagle has an opportunity to join a 1,000-Club at Morehead State this weekend versus Murray State. Junior Allison Whitten enters the weekend 14 digs shy of 1,000 for her career, looking to become the 27th member of the 1,000-Dig Club after scooping up 31 balls versus Eastern Illinois. She also excelled in service in the opening weekend, landing a career-high-tying five aces in the season opener.

Morehead State and Murray State open their two-game series Saturday at Johnson Arena before closing the series Sunday. Both matches feature a first-serve time of 2 p.m. ET and air on ESPN+.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Records: Morehead State (2-0; 2-0 OVC) | Murray State (2-0; 2-0 OVC)
Series: Morehead State leads 45-31
Last Five Meetings: Nov. 16, 2019 (MUR 3, MOR 0) | Nov. 16, 2018 (MUR 3, MOR 1) | Nov. 3, 2018 (MUR 3, MOR 2) | Oct. 7, 2017 (MUR 3, MOR 1) | Oct. 1, 2016 (MOR 3, MUR 0)
 
NOTABLE
Racking up 10 kills in the season opener at Eastern Illinois, senior outside hitter Lauren Rokey became the 21^st member of Morehead State's 1,000-Kill Club. With 1,019 career kills, she ranks 21^st in program history in career kills with six or more kills she'd move into the top-20 on the program's career kills list and with 21-plus kills, she'd move to 19^th.
 
Rokey isn't the only current member of the 1,000-Kill Club as Rokey is joined by fellow senior outside hitter Olivia Lohmeier who sits 13^th in career kills with 1,249. With nine kills she'd move to 12^th all-time in kills and could move to 11^th with 38 kills this weekend.
 
Needing just 14 digs, junior libero Allison Whitten seeks to become the 27^th member of the 1,000-Dig Club at Morehead State. She currently has 986 digs in her career and has a chance to pick up several spots on the career digs list this weekend.
 
Recording 13 kills in both matches versus Eastern Illinois, Lohmeier was one of two players—joined by Southeast Missouri's Laney Malloy—in the OVC to record 13 or more kills in both matches last weekend while playing seven or fewer sets.
 
Lohmeier currently ranks fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference in total kills, accruing 26 last weekend while her 3.71 kills per set rank sixth in the conference.
 
With 31 total digs last weekend, Whitten ranks eighth in the OVC in total digs while her 4.43 digs per set also rank eighth in the league.
 
Landing five service aces in the season opener versus Eastern Illinois, Whitten tied a career-high in service winners, equaling her output from last season's matchup with Georgia State. Her five aces also marked the sixth time since 2017 an Eagle has landed five or more aces in a match.
 
Whitten ranks second in the OVC in total service aces with five while her 0.71 aces per set also rank second in the league.
 
Orchestrating the Morehead State offense last week from the setter position, sophomore Bridget Bessler recorded 69 assists across the two matches with Eastern Illinois. She ranks fifth in the OVC in total assists while ranking sixth in assists per set (9.86).
 
Bessler enters the weekend needing just five assists to surpass 1,250 for her career. She ranks 13^th in program history in career assists with 1,245, needing 128 assists to advance to 12^th place on the all-time assists leaderboard.
 
In the season's opening weekend, three Eagles made their Morehead State debut, all coming in last Sunday's season opener. Making their Eagle debuts were redshirt freshman middle blocker McKenzee Wagener and freshmen setter Brenna Bommer and middle blocker Irene Wogenstahl.